Welcome to DOPKI Website

Organ transplantation represents the best and frequently the unique therapeutic alternative for patients with end stage organ failure and other life limiting conditions. The excellent success rates achieved through organ transplantation in terms of survival and quality of life have led during recent years to high levels of demand, with an increasing number of patients being included in the waiting lists for transplantation. However, organ donor rates and hence transplantation probabilities have remained unchanged. Therefore there is a wide and increasing gap between the number of patients waiting for a transplant and the number of patients that are indeed transplanted. As a result, the time on the waiting lists increases and patients may deteriorate or even die while waiting for an organ.

In this situation and despite all the advantages offered by organ transplantation, many patients cannot benefit from such therapy due to organ shortage to fulfil the demands. Therefore, the improvement in the number of the available organs for transplantation is a permanent challenge for health-care organizations.

The lack of donors and organs for transplantation has been related to the failure to detect potential organ donors and the failure to convert potential into actual donors. One of the reasons to lose potential organ donors is represented by refusals to donate. Our society has an important role here, so being aware of the need of organs and expressing our wishes on organ donation is something that the public can do to face the problem of organ shortage and increase the opportunities of transplantation. Health care professionals and organizations are also actively dealing with the problem and DOPKI project represents one specific and ambitious European action in the field.

Newsletter DOPKI 2007
Newsletter DOPKI 2009